The Socceroos begin their middle east qualifying campaign tonight in the oppressive heat of Dubai. Conditions are expected to be in the high 30's for the 8p kick-off. Our previous experience in the Middle East does not bode well with a 2-0 loss to Kuwait and a 3-1 victory over Bahrain where we were clearly outplayed for the whole of the first half.
The game is on at 2am AEST but dedicated fans will be seen all over the country. The middle east will become a key qualifying ground in the 2nd stages where we are likely to face at least 2 middle eastern teams out of our 4 opponents.
Elsewhere in Asian qualifying there are some key games tonight for Iran and China. Iran is sitting in 3rd and have a must win game also in Dubai against the UAE. UAE grabbed a 0-0 draw at the famous Azadi Stadium last week leaving Iran languishing in 3rd place 2 points off qualification with Syria drawn to play Kuwait who they beat last week.
China are struggling in 3rd, 1 point behind Qatar who they meet in Tianjin. The Chinese tactics can best described as cynical up to this stage in qualifying including playing a 6-3-1 in Doha last week. A loss will put them 4 points behind with only 2 games to go, a position from which recovery is unlikely. This would not be the build up to the Beijing Olympics the Chinese will be looking for.
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